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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22971046">Sleep</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Fluff, M/M, Seawoll owns a cat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 14:34:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,178</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22971046</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Thomas was lying on the sofa, fully dressed except for his jacket, a blanket around his shoulders, and his head resting on the large cushion Alex had bought for the cat several months ago, appearing to be fast asleep.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Thomas Nightingale/Alexander Seawoll</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Sleep</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Margot_Lescargot/gifts">Margot_Lescargot</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It had already grown dark outside by the time Alex made it back to his flat, after a long day which had included one or two fuck-ups too many for his tastes, thoroughly exhausted and ready to just go to sleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The door was unlocked - not surprisingly, as Thomas was there. He had received his text maybe two hours earlier, still more formal and eloquent than any other casual text he had ever read or indeed written, even after several years of using it - informing him that Thomas had arrived and the cat had been fed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Unusually warm air greeted him when he opened the door. Either Thomas or the fucking cat had turned up the heating he supposed. Or set something on fire. He bloody hoped they hadn´t done the latter. Alex had learned fairly early on that the coldness made Thomas uncomfortable and more prone to be sucked into the void that were his memories, specifically his memories pertaining to the war and that last battle - Ettersberg, and tried to make sure that it was never too cold in his flat.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He heard the cat before he saw him, the sound of a large, heavy body jumping off something, slightly louder than the TV, and paws tapping over the wooden floor, so he wasn´t surprised when he rounded the corner on the stairs and saw Archie sitting at the top of them, looking at him imploringly and started screaming in long, deep meows.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As he rid himself of his coat and jacket Archie began rubbing against his legs and bumping them with his large head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What?” he asked the cat. “I know you’ve eaten, you big fucker. You can’t possibly be hungry again already.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Archie looked at him, silent for a moment, then resumed his hollering. Attention, then. Maybe both.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>With a resigned sigh Alex bend down and picked his cat up - a task that was getting increasingly difficult as time passed. Archie was a big cat, but Alex was a big man, and he managed to arrange the cat in a way agreeable to them both.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cat momentarily satisfied Alex turned towards the living room, wondering what Thomas was doing that prevented him from greeting Alex as he normally would, but as soon as he spotted him he knew the reason.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas was lying on the sofa, fully dressed except for his jacket, a blanket around his shoulders, and his head resting on the large cushion Alex had bought for Archie several months ago, appearing to be fast asleep.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alex sat the cat down again, and the bastard jumped onto the sofa, settling in the crook of Thomas´ knees, purring contentedly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What the fuck was all the fuss about then?” he mouthed to the cat, as he turned off the TV. Archie closed his eyes, looking perfectly happy with the choices that he had made.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alex rounded the coffee table, stooping down to kiss Thomas´ temple, careful not to hit his head against the sloping roof that sometimes made his life misery. When moving in he had decided to put the sofa under it, and it had stayed this way since then, even though he couldn´t properly sit on the sofa. He preferred the armchair next to it, and never used the sofa himself unless Thomas was with him, in which case he rarely sat upright anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A bit of the blanket had slipped off Thomas´ shoulder, and Alex reached out to tuck it back into place, accidentally waking his lover from his slumber.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas blinked a few times, before reaching out to grasp one of Alex’ hand. “Alex?” he asked, slightly mumbling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Love you”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The words were said with a simplicity and earnestness, as if they were a matter of fact instead of affection, that made his heart grow warm and fuzzy, even after hearing them more times than he could possibly count. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you too, trouble,” he replied and bent down to kiss him again. This time Thomas rose to meet him, and the kiss lingered for a few seconds.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Are you alright?” Alex asked after they had parted.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas hummed in agreement, letting his head fall against the cat bed again. “ Just tired, is all” He was still holding Alex’ hand, eyes fixed on their interlaced fingers.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then it might be time to go to bed, don’t you think? Or were you planning to spend the night on the fucking sofa?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas nodded, and Alex helped him to his feet, receiving another peck on the lips as thanks. The blanket fully fell away from Thomas’ shoulder, and Archie grumbled at the sudden loss of human.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His lover looked happy and content, and even with hair pressed flat against one side of his head, temporary red marks on his cheek mirroring the seams of the cushion, and rumpled clothing he was still the most handsome person Alex had ever laid eyes upon. He truly was the luckiest bastard in the world.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas grinned at him sleepily but the smile fell when he noticed the temperature in the room, and his expression changed to bashfulness for a moment. “Sorry. I was cold”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nothing to be sorry for,” Alex said, tugging him towards the bedroom, briefly stopping to turn the heating down a notch or three. “If it makes you feel better it’s fine by me. Always will be”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As they both dressed for bed in silence Archie entered the room, jumped onto the bed and flopped down at the foot of it. Alex know from experience that he wasn’t going to stay there.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas got into bed first, and Alex soon followed, after setting his alarm for the following morning. As soon as he was settled Thomas scooted over to him, resting his head on Alex’ shoulder, one arm thrown over his chest, lightly gripping the fabric of Alex’ pyjama - a gift from Thomas, soft and warm, and probably much more expensive than Alex wanted to know about. Alex in turn wrapped his arms around Thomas and, after pressing a kiss to it, let his cheek fall against his lover’s soft, brown hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Cozy and comfortable like that it didn’t take long for Alex to drift into a state between sleep and wakefulness, only moments from tipping over and falling asleep, and judging by Thomas’ even and calm breathing it was the same for him, until Alex could feel Archie’s paws on his legs, and then stomach, heavy and slightly painful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Bloody cat,” he mumbled, as the big fucker began trying to lift both of their arms with his head, to persuade them to pet him. When his plan didn’t come to fruition he settled on Alex, pressed up against Thomas’ side.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Let him, Alex,” Thomas murmured, barely awake, “He simply has excellent taste.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As if he could understand what Thomas had said Archie began purring, and Alex resigned himself to his fate. “Well, this is tragic, he´s blocking the access to my favourite part of you,” he joked, but received no answer.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Thomas had already fallen asleep.</span>
</p>
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